Angel on the earth
by fantasygirl2001
Summary: *In loving memory of Cameron Boyce* After Uma has returned to the island, everything seems to be fine. Until Carlos learns that he is sick and will die. But this is not the only problem that the friends have to face.
1. Bad news

_** 1\. Bad news**_

In memory of Cameron Boyce 💔

Carlos' P.O.V.

"I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything better." I stared at the doctor with my mouth open and my eyes wide. The information came through to me slowly and yet I couldn't get it into my head.

"How long?", I asked in a shaky voice.

"How long do I have time?" The doctor took the glasses off his nose and put them on the table in front of him.

"It's difficult to say. But at most six months." Everything in me contracted. Half a year? A damn half a year now?! That was nothing! Nothing at all! I just kept staring at the doctor. How was that possible? I had never assumed that this was behind my continued tiredness, the strong headache and the pain and small cramps in the muscles!

"I'm really, really sorry." But I didn't hear that anymore, because I jumped up and ran out of the room. It was all impossible! I couldn't die! And how should I explain this to my friends, please? My heart contracted at the thought of Mal, Evie, and Jay. We were like a family. We had been through so much together. We had grown up in a cruel place and only survived together. Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. I didn't want to cry! But I didn't know what to do next. I only had half a year to live! If any! And I would have to take a lot of pain medication to somehow endure. I hadn't remembered the name of the disease, but I knew what would happen to me. I just ran until I got to my room and slammed the door behind me. Fortunately, I hadn't met any of my friends. Luckily my room was also empty because I and Jay had one together. Usually, I always thought it was perfect, but right now I just wanted to be alone.

"Carlos?" I sighed softly as my other roommate remembered me and turned to the little dog on my bed.

"Where have you been?" He jumped off the bed, shook himself and came running towards me. Sometimes I really hated that Mal accidentally got him to talk.

"Only outside." I hadn't told anyone about my appointment and problems because I didn't think it was important and didn't want to worry anyone.

"And why didn't you take me with you?" My nerves were no longer there after this news and I really didn't feel like talking to Dude now. It could be really exhausting and I really couldn't use that now.

"Don't be angry with me, Dude, but could you leave me alone?" Dude cocked his head and looked at me questioningly.

"Are you all right, Carlos?" I nodded quickly and before he could continue I raised him, opened the door and, despite his protest, put him in front of it.

"I'm sorry. I really have to be alone now." And then I closed the door. I usually loved my best friend's company, but now I really didn't want to see anyone. I went over to my bed and let myself fall on it. How should I teach it the others? I would die, damn it! And very soon! My hands clenched into fists and I just wanted to scream. None of this could be true! Just where I thought everything would be fine, something came! The last time hadn't been easy. At first, we had huge problems settling in and didn't know what we wanted and then Mal escaped from her duties as a queen and we had to go back to our island and face Uma and her pirates. To make matters worse, Ben had been kidnapped and enchanted. When that was all resolved, I was hoping to finally get some rest, but now that was coming. I had been pretty sick for a while but had never noticed it because there weren't really good doctors on our island. I sighed and turned around in my bed. What should I do?


	2. Back to the island?

_**2\. Back to the island?**_

Mal's P.O.V.

I lay on my bed, chewing on my pen, trying to understand all the stuff in those damn books. But as always, I wished for my magic book to get everything in my head faster. But since I gave it to the fairy godmother so that she could take it to the museum, I somehow had to get along without it. This book had created quite a bit of tension between me and Ben and I haven't needed it since our last unsightly adventure on the island. Evie was sitting at the desk a few yards from me, drawing sketches for her clothes. How I would like to trade with her. With a resigned sigh, I dropped my head into my book and closed my eyes. I heard Evie laugh and had to smile too. She had become my best friend, although it wasn't normal for children from the island. You might do something together there, but you were never friends. You were an alone fighter and everyone else didn't care. Carlos and Jay had also become my friends by now and I already saw them as family. I raised my head and smiled at Evie, who eyed me amused. Yes, this was really their world and even if I didn't think it was possible, I belonged here too.

"So hard, Mal?" I nodded exhausted and closed the book.

"I should really think again if I really want to be a queen." Evie laughed and turned back to her sketches. She knew that after everything we had been through because of my stubbornness, I was no longer serious. I loved Ben and I would do anything to be with him. I never thought I'd fall in love. But Evie was now too. As far as I knew, it wasn't the boys yet, but that would come. I got up, smoothed my dress, and went to Evie. Her sketches looked great and this was really her passion. I smiled and put both hands on her shoulder.

"That looks great." Evie looked at me happily.

"Realy?" I smiled at her.

"Sure. I'm glad to have such a talented designer."

Evie laughed and got back to work when there was a knock on the door. When I opened the door, Ben was standing in front of me and my heart jumped as always.

"Hello, my queen." He gave me a gentle kiss and I had to smile as always.

"Can we help you?", Evie asked, who had appeared behind me. Ben nodded.

"Yeah, frankly, I need to talk to you, Evie." I and Evie looked at each other in amazement.

"Okay? Don't you want to come in first?", I asked, holding the door open for him.

"Thank you." I closed the door behind him, and we looked at him expectantly. "Evie, have you finished the list?" Evie had decided to make Ben a list of villains' descendants who would get another chance at Auradon. Evie bowed her head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I'm not really done yet." Ben just smiled good-natured.

"It's not bad, but I will need it soon. I want to continue soon and take in more descendants." I smiled. Ben really went out of his way to accommodate and integrate the descendants of the people who had almost destroyed their world. "But I will have to go to the island again soon." Everything in me contracted. I hated this place. Growing up there wasn't easy and it was still very dangerous there. In addition, the last trip there was over a month ago, and we didn't know how the situation had developed there.

"Ben, I would leave that," I said immediately. Ben looked at me questioningly. "We don't know how it developed there and you don't know your way there yet." Ben looked pretty frustrated.

"We can't wait any longer!" Evie seemed to suspect that this would escalate and intervened.

"I would say that I, Mal, Jay, and Carlos take a look, and we decide what happens." I wasn't really thrilled with the idea, but there was probably no other way.


	3. Not again

_**3\. Not again**_

Jay's P.O.V.

When I came back to our room from one of my games, Dude was in front of the door. I walked up to him in confusion because when I left he was still inside and Carlos hadn't been there. Besides, he wouldn't put him in front of the door, would he? Ever since Carlos had had him in their arms, they had been inseparable.

"Dude?" The dog raised his head and looked at me. "Everything okay in there?" He got up and shook himself.

"Carlos is weird." Now I was completely confused. Carlos had put him outside the door? That was really not normal. I opened the door and saw Carlos lying on his bed with his back to me.

"Carlos?" No Answer. It was strange. Usually, he never slept at lunchtime, but he seemed to be sleeping a lot lately and still looked tired. I put all my stuff down and went to my roommate. Well, he was more like my little brother. I gently shook his shoulder. "Carlos?" After a while, he tiredly opened his eyes and looked at me sleepily.

"Jay?" I left my hand on his shoulder and waited until he was half awake and sat up.

"Why was Dude in front of the door? Is everything clear with you?" Carlos wiped his face and still looked a little exhausted.

"I was tired and wanted to sleep. And yes, everything is clear." I was still suspicious, but left it at that and went to take a shower. When I got out of the bathroom, Carlos was sitting on his bed, lost in thought, with Dude. I was starting to get really worried and that was usually never the case. That wasn't our Carlos.

"Carlos?" He looked at me and immediately shook his head.

"If you ask is everything is fine ..." I raised my hands and went to my closet. When I was finished there was a knock on the door and I opened the door. Ben was standing in front of me.

"Hello, Jay. Can I come in briefly? I have something important to tell you." I opened the door a little confused. What was going on now? What was so incredibly important? Carlos looked at me questioningly and I just shrugged my shoulders. "Hello, Carlos," Ben greeted him quickly, but before Carlos could say anything, the prince continued. "You have to go to the island." What?! Carlos's eyes widened in shock and I stared at Ben. Definitely not! I've been there long enough!

"Why should we do that?", I asked irritably. He was probably not serious! There was no good reason to go there.

"We have to integrate more descendants, and we have no idea of the condition on this island. And you know your way around there." Carlos looked at me in shock, and I was also slightly upset.

"How do you imagine that, Ben? It's dangerous for us there too! If you haven't noticed, they hate us!" Ben sighed and paced our room.

"I know it's not easy for you either, but if we wait any longer, it will escalate at some point. You have survived there for years! Please try!" I knew Ben was right somewhere. And I also knew that otherwise he would go himself and that's it. I groaned annoyed.

"When?" Ben nodded gratefully.

"Tomorrow." Great. Very spontaneous too. I looked at Carlos, who nodded to me and I knew he agreed with my decision.

"All right. But you stay away from that!" Ben nodded again.

"I thank you." He looked at Carlos again and then disappeared from the room. I dropped onto my bed. Carlos looked at me.

"We have to be damn careful tomorrow." He was right.

"You mean our parents, don't you?" Carlos nodded.

"We'll have a huge problem if they hear about it." I considered. It was going to be pretty dangerous.

"We have to be careful in general. We have no idea about the situation on the island." Carlos took Dude back on his lap and nodded.

"I'm coming with you," the dog said. How I hated that he could speak now.

"You stay here!" Carlos said nothing more. And I didn't want to know what it would be tomorrow.


	4. Thoughts and sleepless nights

_**4\. Thoughts and sleepless nights**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

The night dragged on for a long time. I kept turning from side to side and my thoughts just didn't leave me alone. I didn't have long to live and I hadn't told the truth. Jay already seemed to have noticed that something was wrong, and my behavior had probably made Dude aware too. I was afraid of what was going to happen to me. And I knew that I couldn't keep the truth secret for long. It would attract attention because I would soon get regular cramps until my body could no longer and give up. I was afraid of death. What would I expect there? I turned to Dude, who was sleeping next to me and stroked his fur. But tomorrow it would go back to the island and I could only hope that my body could do it. I sighed softly and tried to sleep again, but it didn't work. When the sun rose, I had slept maybe a quarter of an hour. And then Jay woke me up.

"Move, Carlos. We have to go!" I groaned as I sat up because the headache was coming back and rubbed my eyes. "Not slept much?", Jay asked with a grin while he was rummaging in his closet.

"No." I got up and tried to look normal. But it wasn't really easy.

"Nervous?" I nodded.

"A little." Jay patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." If only he knew ... He didn't know the truth. He knew nothing about things that only I knew about. But I also knew that if they knew the truth, they would treat me completely differently. And I also knew that they would soon find out. Jay pulled two dark coats out of the closet and tossed me one. I dressed in something else and took the coat. Jay was also done and before we went downstairs I quickly took the painkillers with me. I didn't want anyone to notice that I was in pain. When we got outside, the girls were already waiting with Ben at a limousine. Perfect. We really had to be careful not to be seen with it. Ben smiled at us.

"Good morning. Ready?" I went to the two girls with Jay. Both looked very tense and also seemed to be worried.

"So far," Jay answered only when asked.

"Ready?", I asked, looking at the others in turn. Everyone nodded. We were the 4 VKs. We would do it. Compared to what we already had behind us, this was nothing. We said goodbye to Ben and then got into the limousine. The tension was literally felt. Mal looked thoughtfully out of the window, Evie played on her fingernails and Jay fiddled with his coat. I was pondering my thoughts like all the time. I didn't know how to tell them that. How to explain to them when I have a seizure.

"We have to be careful. We only look around briefly and then leave again. Understood?", Mal interrupted us and looked at everyone in turn.

"Our parents are still there somewhere. We have to make sure that nobody sees us!", Evie interjected and Jay also seemed pretty determined. I nodded.

"We find out what the situation is on the island and then I want to get out of there! I really don't want to see my mother!" Jay laughed.

"Why can I understand that so well?" I smiled slightly and shook my head. They all knew my mother and her parents weren't exactly better. Mal nodded at me.

"Nobody will notice us! Least of all your parents!" Oh yes, that's right. Her mother was now a lizard and lived in a terrarium in the girls' room. I nodded and looked outside. We were driving over the magical bridge and would be there in a minute. "We can do it," Mal reassured us. "Because we are rotten..."

"... to the core!" I could only hope that my body withstood this strain.


	5. Back to the island

_**5\. Back to the island**_

Evie's P.O.V.

When we were on the island and got out in a dark back yard, my hands trembled with nervousness. I hoped so much that everything would go well here. When someone discovered us, recognized us and told our parents, we had a real problem. And I knew we weren't very popular here right now. We put on the dark coats and looked at each other. Mal looked pretty determined and so did Jay. Carlos seemed to be somewhere else with the thoughts and I noticed that he looked quite tired. He probably hadn't slept much tonight. Mal nodded to us and then went ahead. We followed her hesitantly and mingled with the people in the dirty alleys. We kept our faces to the ground so that nobody could recognize us. Suddenly Mal stopped and I almost ran into her. Jay couldn't react so quickly, but Carlos pulled him back. Harry Hook stood in front of us. Fear spread through me. If he recognized us, we would be delivered. And because of the nasty grin, I was pretty sure he did.

"If this is not our royal children." Shit. I looked desperately at Jay, who also looked a little insecure. Carlos looked a little concerned and Mal's face was still determined. She was really a born leader who never showed her feelings when it wasn't needed. At the next moment, Harry's men tore our coats off our bodies. Great. We all automatically went into a defensive posture. Through the many years on this island, it had already become a kind of reflex.

"What do you want from us, Harry?", Mal hissed angrily. She had built up in front of him and glared at him defiantly. Harry grinned.

"The more important question is what you want here, although you could have stayed in the beautiful Auradon." Mals' eyes narrowed.

"I don't know what that concerns you." Harry laughed.

"Your parents and Uma will be happy to see you again. They are in command here now." At his words, fear shot through my body again and Jay and Carlos tightened even more. Mal remained immobile.

"But first you have to get us." That was our sign. We had to get out of here! At the next moment, however, Harry and his men shot at us. The adrenaline rushed through my body and I didn't really have a problem putting the guy in front of me out of action. This was an advantage if you had lived here for years. I looked briefly at the others. While Jay was able to score with his strength, it was the strategy by Mal and the speed by Carlos. Despite his fatigue, he was as agile as a cat and kicked the guy out of action with a kick in the face. But as more and more men came and my muscles were slowly losing their strength, it was really time to go. Mal nodded in confirmation and I quickly climbed up the wall next to us. The others did the same as me, and we ran away as quickly as possible. At least we had now figured out the situation on the island. It was damn dangerous here. We ran over the roofs, climbed down the wall of a house and then ran into the alley where the car was. When we got there, we were more than just out of breath.

"Okay, I want to get out of here!", Jay gasped. Mal wiped his face.

"These rats!" I looked at Carlos, who was leaning on his knee and gasping for breath. I started to worry. It was not normal for Carlos. He was usually the last of us to have trouble with walking.

"Carlos, are you all right?", I asked concerned and went up to him. Now Mal and Jay also seemed to notice it, and they looked at him questioningly and also a little unsettled. Carlos held up a hand in defense.

"Yes, I'm fine." He straightened up, but I noticed that he still wasn't breathing normally. "Can we get out of here now, please?"


	6. Destroyed life

_**6\. Destroyed life**_

Since I haven't been able to publish anything in the last few days, 6 chapters come is the first one. I hope you like the story.

* * *

Carlos' P.O.V.

I felt fatigued in every part of my body. Fortunately, we had escaped in time, because my body would not have been through this for long. I still couldn't get my breath and I wasn't sure whether this was good for me and my body and whether I could continue to do it. When we got back to Auradon, Ben was waiting in front of the castle with his parents and Doug. Evie immediately had to smile, and so I did it too. It was nice to see her so happy. My heart clenched as I remembered what would break the news that I was going to die. Mal got out first and all of us afterward. Mal and Evie approached their friends and I and Jay stayed in the background.

"I think Mal will tell him everything. We can go to our room." Jay elbowed me, but I shook my head. I had to talk to the doctor. He hadn't been able to tell me yesterday what I had to do because I had stormed out of the room. Jay looked at me questioningly, but I just smiled forced.

"I have a short moment to go. Could you take care of Dude?" And before Jay could say anything, I started to run, which I let go as soon as I was out of her sight. I still couldn't breathe properly, and running now hadn't been helpful. I stopped for a moment and tried to calm my breath again. It started to work and I went to the doctor at a slower pace. When I entered the practice, the memories of yesterday came back and I felt the fear that was spreading inside me again. At that moment the doctor came out of the treatment room and his face went serious when he saw me.

"Mr. Devil. I'm sure you want to see me." I just nodded and noticed how nervous I was. The doctor nodded to me and I followed him into the treatment room. He closed the door and asked me to sit in the chair and then sat across from me.

"I need to know what to look out for in the illness," I immediately explained the reason for my appearance. The doctor looked me over.

"You have to take your medication, sleep a lot, and under no circumstances should you overexert yourself." Great. If he found out about our unsightly expedition, he would probably go nuts. I just nodded.

"Something else?" The doctor looked at me seriously.

"If you have a fit, call me." I swallowed hard. That sounded serious.

"Okay." Slowly the room became too small for me and I had to get some fresh air. "I — I have to get out of here!" With these words, I got up and rushed out of the room. The nurse looked at me questioningly, but I didn't care. When I stood outside, I couldn't suppress a frustrated scream. It was clear to me that I now had to live my life after this illness. That it would destroy my whole life. How could it all be? I slowly made my way back. I had to tell Evie, Mal, and Jay the truth. But I still had no idea how to do it. When I got to my room it was empty. So apparently Jay was with Mal and Evie. Fortunately, because I was able to calmly think about how I could teach everyone as gently as possible. But it was clear to me that there was nothing to teach gently. It did not work. No matter how I said it, the same thing would always come out of it. I walked up and down in my room in frustration. At the next moment, I felt an enormous pain in the muscles and the breath became difficult. Oh, please not! Not now! I stopped and tried to breathe calmly, but it didn't get better. And then my muscles started to cramp. I cried out and tried to get to the bed, but my legs gave way under me and I fell to the floor. I put my head back and tried to gasp. What should I do now?


	7. First seizure

_**7\. First seizure**_

Mal's P.O.V.

Where was Carlos when you needed him? Annoyed, I walked down the hallways with Dude on my way to the boys' room. I also didn't understand how Carlos could stand this dog for so long. Since he could speak, he had been torture. He kept asking about Carlos, but we didn't know where he was either. But I had to agree with Dude on one thing. Carlos has been a little weird lately. Now I had decided to take Dude back to the boy's room because I could no longer bear this annoying being. Dude fidgeted on my arm, but I held him tight.

"Dude, if you don't stop right away, I'm going to get furious." To make it clear, my eyes lit up when my dark side came out. Dude immediately stopped the fidget and I smiled contentedly. That really made sense. I took the key to the boys' room from my pocket and was mildly surprised that the door wasn't locked. Maybe Carlos was back, but since I wasn't sure, I stayed alert. I slowly opened the door just to see something incredibly terrible. I quickly pushed open the door and ran to the boy with the black and white hair who was breathing heavily and cramping on the floor. My heart was pounding in the neck and I didn't really have a clue what to do.

"Carlos, what's going on?", I asked, noticing how panicked my voice sounded. I tried to get the panic under control and carefully put Carlos' head in my lap. He had his head back, his eyes were huge, and he seemed to be barely breathing. I had no idea what was going on here, but I knew how serious the situation was. "Okay, Carlos. Just keep breathing. It's over soon." At least I hoped so. More cramps shook his body and fear spread through me. "Quiet, Carlos. Look at me!" His eyes went to me and I tried to calm him down like that. His breath was still going very fast and cramps were racing through his body, but it actually seemed to help because the panic in his eyes was getting a little less. "That's right! Just look at me!" My voice sounded firm again, so I was grateful because panicking wouldn't help Carlos. At the next moment, I heard footsteps and then Evies screaming.

"Oh god, what is with Carlos?", she asked in a shaky voice and I knew without looking at her that she was about to cry. Evie tended to show her feelings very clearly. I noticed movement at my side and Jay knelt next to Carlos.

"Hey, buddy. We're with you. Hold on." Carlos was still breathing very quickly, but the cramps seemed to be getting less. Evie also knelt next to Carlos and took his hand. I looked briefly at her and saw the tears and fear glitter in her eyes. I quickly looked back at Carlos, who luckily now seemed to be breathing a little better. A little relief spread through me, but it wasn't over yet.

"Do you know what he has?", I asked Jay, immediately noticing how stupid the question was. Had he known, he would have told us. Jay shook his head and also seemed very concerned about the boy in front of us. In the meantime, the cramps were almost completely gone and Carlos breathed calmer again. I looked briefly at Jay, and he knew immediately what I wanted. Together we managed to raise Carlos up and take him to his bed. Carlos hardly seemed to be conscious and I wasn't sure if he even knew what was happening. When Carlos was lying in his bed, he immediately closed his eyes and I reached for Evie's hand to calm her and probably me a little too. She was trembling. And I couldn't blame her. I didn't need that again.


	8. The truth

_**8\. The truth**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

I didn't know how long ago I had the seizure, but when I opened my eyes it was already evening. My eyes looked on the window and I could see the stars and the moon in the sky. I felt incredibly exhausted and weak. I slowly moved my head and saw Jay walking up and down the room. Mal sat on Jay's bed and watched him. And Evie was sitting next to me, holding my hand and looking out the window as well. I didn't know how far I was able to speak, so I only lightly squeezed her hand. Her head immediately shot to me and I could clearly see the relief in her eyes.

"Thank god, you're awake!" Mal and Jay were there immediately and I noticed how exhausted they was, despite the smile on their faces. Immediately a guilty conscience spread through me. The way I knew them, they had been incredibly worried.

"Hey, guys." My voice sounded brittle and my throat hurt incredibly. Evie smiled very gently and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

"Rest, Carlos. You have a lot behind you." But I couldn't. No matter how finished I was, I had to tell them the truth. I couldn't keep it from them. They had to know it. It wasn't fair of me to withhold something from them. I sat up carefully, which was really difficult for me, which is why Jay held out his hand and pulled me up. I gave him a grateful look, but my heartbeat to my neck. I took a deep breath.

"I have something important to tell you." Evie and Jay gave each other a worried look.

"At the moment you have to rest," said Mal. I shook my head. It was no longer possible.

"I have been feeling very bad lately. I had pain and cramps in my muscles. Also, a severe headache and always felt very tired." Only now did I notice how severe the headache was again. Evie looked at me in horror.

"Why did not you say anything?" My guilty conscience came up again.

"I didn't want to burden you." Jay put a hand on my shoulder and I looked at him.

"Carlos, stop saying that right now. Come to us if there is anything, man." Now came the really terrible part of the story. And I didn't know how to tell them. It would change everything.

"Carlos, are you all right?", Mal asked, staring at me questioningly. I nodded, but it was hesitant. No, it wasn't all clear. And it never would be again.

"You have to see the doctor, Carlos. Tomorrow!", Jay said and his tone made no contradiction. I smiled sadly. They were great friends. And I would ruin everything for them now.

"I was already." Three incredulous looks hit me and I bowed my head.

"What did the doctor say?", Evie asked softly and I realized in her voice that she already suspected nothing good. I didn't know how to tell them now. I didn't know if I had the guts to do it. And I didn't know how they would handle it. I could only hope that they wouldn't leave me alone. But that Evie was still holding my hand and squeezing, Jay had his hand on my shoulder and I could feel Mals body on my legs made me feel safe. I took a deep breath before saying the words.

"I'm sick." It was quiet for a moment and I hardly dared to look at the others again.

"It's okay, Carlos. It'll be fine," Jay said hopefully. I looked up and saw that they obviously didn't understand. Or didn't want it. Evie's grip on my hand grew stronger and I noticed that she seemed to be incredibly worried. I didn't want to put up with my friends after this day and what had happened, but there was no other way. They had to find out the truth. They deserved the truth. My voice trembled at the next words.

"And that's why I'm going to die in the next six months."


	9. Tears and despair

_**9\. Tears and despair**_

Evie's P.O.V.

Too much happened in me at his words. I started to tremble all over, tears came to my eyes and I felt like my heart was breaking. It couldn't be! Carlos should ... die? Tears ran down my cheeks and I could barely see anything through the veil of tears and the pain in my heart, but I saw Mals features harden and Jay clench his hands into fists.

"Don't kid us, Carlos!", he hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously. I spotted the glassy glow in the boy's eyes in front of us and I felt so sorry for him. He was younger than all of us and should still die before us. Mal said nothing, just got up and left the room. I knew Carlos would not resent her because we all knew like she was.

"I don't," whispered Carlos. His voice was still very fragile and I knew that he had to sleep. But given what he had just told us, I was paralyzed with fear and horror. No matter how I put the words in my head together, they always led to the same terrible result. Carlos would soon leave us forever! My tears never stopped running and my whole body trembled. Jay angrily escaped from the room and Carlos closed his eyes for a moment. His breath went a little choppy again and I became even more scared. My hand was still clutching his and tears were dripping on it. But I didn't care. The pain in my heart was too terrible, too intense. It was as if the news had broken it forever. "Evie." Carlos looked at me with his clear, beautiful eyes and I just cried more. Although he was probably totally tired and exhausted, he gently pulled me towards him and hugged me. Now I lay trembling and crying on his chest and held on to the boy who would soon leave me forever. I needed him! He couldn't just go! He was funny, always made me smile and was always there for me! I needed him! And always!

"Please - please stay with me!", I cried, grabbing him. My body was trembling heavily and Carlos held me even more tightly.

"I'm sorry, Evie, but it's not on me." I cried and cried. It hurt so much. How should I go on without him? We were like family! We needed each other! All of us! At some point, I stopped crying because at some point I no longer had any strength. I didn't know how much time had passed since the news, but I didn't care. It was still a huge shock. Carlos almost seemed to be asleep again, but tried to stay awake. I let my head rest on his chest simply because I wanted to use the time we had together. My one hand was on his slowly beating heart and that gave me security.

"Please sleep, Carlos," I whispered, noticing how exhausted and tired my voice sounded. I felt Carlos shake his head.

"It is okay." But I raised my head and put a finger on his lips.

"Just sleep. You are tired and need sleep." I tried to suppress the fear that came with the thought of the illness and the seizure. I had to be strong now. For Carlos. His eyes shone and it hurt again.

"You too, Evie. Go rest. I can do it." He wasn't thinking that I leave him alone now? I sat up carefully and took the younger man's hand in mine.

"I'm here. Sleep a bit." He sighed and closed his eyes. Only a few minutes later his breath slowed and he looked more relaxed. A few single tears ran down my cheeks. I needed him. But I had to be strong now. For Carlos.


	10. Anger

_**10\. Anger**_

Jay's P.O.V.

I didn't know how long I had been hitting this wall, but the anger inside me was not getting any better. I didn't know what else to do to get rid of the anger and pain inside of me. And I still couldn't believe it. Carlos would die soon! My little brother. At least that's how I felt. And I was determined to always protect him. It was driving me crazy that I couldn't now. It would happen no matter how hard I tried. Another blow from me hit the wall of the small storeroom where I have probably been raging for hours. It was a miracle that no one had heard me before.

My hands were bloody, but that didn't bother me. I should have noticed. I should talk to him about it earlier! Then maybe there was something else that could be done to cure him. We were roommates, brothers. I should have noticed that something was wrong! I hit the wall again and the anger inside me slowly but surely turned into deep sadness. I would lose him! The boy who was braver than I thought. The boy who had always been loyal to all of us. Who could cheer us up even in the saddest and most serious situations and always encouraged us. I knew that this was useless, but there was nothing else I could do. I kept thinking of his words that he would die of the disease in the next six months. Exhausted, I dropped my head to the wall and closed my eyes. He would need all of us now. We were like a family.

Tears came into my eyes, but I blinked them away. I was still a child from the island and crying there was like suicide. But it was so incredibly difficult. At some point, I had caught myself halfway and my legs carried me back to our room as if by myself. When my hand was on the door handle, fear spread through me. Which picture would receive me behind this door? Did Carlos have another attack? I would probably never have been able to forget this picture when I entered the room and Carlos was sprawling on the floor and could hardly breathe.

I swallowed and opened the door. The picture behind it made me feel this deep pain again. Carlos was asleep in bed and Evie sat exhausted next to him and held his hand. I entered the room quietly and closed the door behind me. But of course, Evie noticed me immediately and I concluded from her puffy eyes, the lost make-up and the tear-wet cheeks that she must have cried a lot. But I couldn't blame her. The moment I looked at Carlos, who was sleeping soundly, tears came to my eyes again. None of this could be true! That was not fair! And with the grief and the pain came the anger again. My hands clenched into fists again and it was like a storm raging in me. Evie looked at me exhausted and I threw the next thing I could get across the room. With a loud clink, the glass on the wall shattered and Evie winced.

"Stop it, Jay! Carlos has to sleep and this doesn't make the situation any better," she scolded, but her voice was low and brittle. She must have cried a lot. At the next moment, Carlos moved and Evie's eyes were pretty angry. At that moment I got a really bad conscience. I shouldn't have woken him up. Carlos opened his eyes slightly and opened them when he saw me.

"Jay ..." He tried to sit up, but moaned slightly and held his head. He really had to have a headache. Evie looked at me desperately, but I knew as little as she what to do now. "In the drawer," Carlos murmured as if reading our thoughts. Evie opened the drawer and handed the tablets to Carlos with a glass of water. Should this always go on now?


	11. The first conversation afterward

_**11\. The first conversation afterward**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

I woke up with a loud clink and immediately noticed the headache. I painstakingly opened my eyes and took a short moment to remember everything. Images shot through my head as I told my friends that I was going to die. Evie's tears and horrified face, Mal, who walked out of the room with hardened features, followed by an angry Jay. I knew it! I knew that this message would destroy everything. Then I heard Evie's ranting. Who was she talking to? I moved carefully so as not to make the headache worse. It felt like my head was about to explode. And then I saw the other person in the room and my eyes widened. Now it was getting serious.

"Jay ..." I didn't know what to say and my voice was about to fail. Probably from exhaustion and what had happened. I could still see the anger sparkling in Jay's eyes, which I could understand very well. I tried to sit up, but it only made the headache worse. I tried to grit my teeth, but couldn't suppress a low moan and held my head. It was really severe pain. Of course, I immediately noticed the desperate look of the two and since I didn't want to worry them anymore, I had them help me. "In the drawer ..." My voice was nothing more than a whisper. My body had suffered more than expected from the attack and the stress and pressure. Evie immediately opened the drawer and quickly handed me the tablets with a glass of water. My hand trembled as I accepted both and swallowed it quickly. Evie glanced at Jay, whose anger still didn't seem to be gone, and stood up.

"I'm going to see at Mal." With these words, she looked at me sadly again, pressed my hand again and then left the room. What had I done to them with my story? Jay stood in silence, watching me, which only made the situation worse. Otherwise, he was never so quiet.

"How long?", he asked suddenly. I looked at him in confusion. What did he mean?

"What do you mean by that?" His eyes took on a dark shade and his hands clenched into fists. I involuntarily moved a little bit away from him, although I trusted him completely. But I knew Jay's unbridled nature very well and wasn't sure what the news had done to him.

"How long do you know it?", he growled. I looked at my hands.

"Since yesterday." It was uncomfortable to tell him that I hadn't told them the truth straight away. But he must have figured that out long ago. Jay snorted in frustration and paced the room. I watched him do it, ignorant of what to say now. Until he suddenly took another glass and smashed it against the wall. I jumped involuntarily because I hadn't expected it at all. Without thinking much about it, I got up despite the terrible headache and my incredible exhaustion and started walking towards him. I could only hope that my body did that. Jay looked at the broken glass at his feet and I could almost feel his anger. My legs were shaking and I was really annoyed that I was out of strength. Fuck sickness. At that moment Jay reached for the next glass. Oh no! He had smashed enough and it wouldn't help anyone. But on the contrary. I saw that his hands were bloody and immediately my guilty conscience rose again. It was all my fault! Before he could throw the glass on the wall, I held his arm. But Jay was much stronger than I. Before I could do anything, he threw the glass against the wall. And since I could not hold on due to the little force, I flew along and banged my head against the wall.


	12. Stunned and strength

_**12\. Stunned and strength**_

Mal's P.O.V.

My fingers clawed into the stone railing and my eyes were fixed on the beautiful starry sky. But I couldn't concentrate on that at all. I had no idea how to deal with the storm of emotions in me. I had never felt such intense painful feelings. It wasn't fair! Carlos was the youngest of us all. He had a heart of gold and was more than wrong on the island. He hadn't been home there. It was all so unfair! I deserved a lot more to die and instead it hit the most innocent of us all.

His soul was so pure and I couldn't understand how it could just happen. Carlos was a brave, funny and loving person, no matter how hard he had in childhood. And we loved him for these qualities. I couldn't imagine what it was like to live without him. On the outside, I remained the strong girl who couldn't be shaken by anything, but on the inside, I cried and screamed. No matter how angry I was, my heart was on Carlos and it broke at the thought of losing him.

Ben knew it. I had told him quickly before I fled to our room. I thought it was right to tell him.

My fingers clawed into the railing even more. How should things go now? Carlos wouldn't be with us for long, I knew that. And when I thought about it, the first tear ran down my cheek. My little brother. I wiped them away in frustration and concentrated on the stars again. But of course, my thoughts stayed with Carlos.

The news had been a huge shock. Even worse than the picture of Carlos lying on the floor gasping for breath and suffering from cramps. Would we now have this picture more often? Probably. I didn't know how to do it. I sighed softly. It was all so unfair! At that moment the door opened and I heard footsteps. Shortly afterward Evie stood next to me and I immediately realized that she must have cried a lot.

"Mal ..." She didn't seem to know what to say any more than I did. But she didn't have to say anything. We both felt the same. The same pain, the same anger, the same grief. But we went about it very differently. Evie showed it openly, Jay had outbursts of anger and I ate everything inside myself.

"How is he?" My voice didn't reveal in the slightest way how I felt. Evie sighed softly.

"According to the circumstances. He needs a lot of rest to regain his strength." Her voice trembled slightly and I immediately hugged her. Evie immediately started crying and I felt the tears too. "I don't want to lose him, Mal. We need him." I just hugged her tightly, unable to speak. Because then I was in danger of crying.

"Who's with him?", I whispered, feeling my voice shake.

"Jay." Surprised, I broke away from her and looked at her. Evie shrugged. "We have to take turns." I nodded. She was probably right, and the way Evie looked she also needed sleep.

"Are you okay?", I asked quietly and put my hand on my best friend's shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine. So depending on the circumstances." I nodded again. I understood what she meant. We all needed Carlos. And soon we would lose him forever. At that moment I wished for my magic book, but I knew I couldn't do anything about it. No power was strong enough to face death. We would lose him! And none of us could do anything about it! This thought made me crazy and very angry. I hated being helpless. At the next moment Evie's eyes lit up and she took my hand. "Mal, we all have to be strong now. And if we don't do it for ourselves, then for him. Be strong. For Carlos."


	13. I'm sorry

_**13\. I'm sorry**_

Jay's P.O.V.

What had I just done?! My anger immediately gave way to worry and guilt. Carlos was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, trying to take a deep breath.

"Carlos ..." My voice trembled. What if I only made it worse with this action? If he was worse now because of me? Carlos opened his eyes slightly.

"It's okay, Jay. I understand you." My hands trembled as I handed them to Carlos and helped him to his feet. He swayed for a moment and I panicked. What if I triggered the next attack now? But after he stood there briefly, he stopped swaying and I managed to get him to bed. Carlos sat down with a thankful smile, but I didn't deserve it. It was all my fault! He was a little better and I idiot threw his head against the wall.

"Do you need anything?", I asked quietly, not looking at my friend.

"Jay." His voice was calm and warm. I looked up carefully and saw a slight smile on his lips. "It's OK." I shook my head. No, nothing was okay! Nothing at all! Anger rose again in me, but I tried to calm down. I didn't want to hurt him again. Carlos shook his head. "Believe me, please. It's really okay." I sighed. I would never forgive myself for that, but I nodded to reassure Carlos.

"The best thing to do now is to sleep again. I'll bring you something to eat later." My voice sounded soft, which I wasn't used to. But given the situation, that was probably normal. The boy in front of me nodded.

"Thanks, Jay." I smiled slightly and Carlos lay down. I sat on my bed and watched the disciples for fear that he might have another fit. Shortly afterward Carlos had fallen asleep and I sighed sadly when I remembered that we would lose him soon. At that moment the door opened and Mal entered the room with Evie. They immediately looked at Carlos and the guilt came up again.

"How is he?", Evie asked quietly so as not to wake him up. I stared at my hands because I couldn't lie in their faces.

"Jay, what happened?", Mal asked sharply and I swallowed. Both girls looked at me demanding.

"I threw him against a wall," I admitted quietly. It was silent for a moment and I thought that they hadn't heard it.

"You have what?!", then both called at the same time and I was quite startled by their tone. I looked up to see Evie looking horrified and angry. Carlos moved slightly but luckily continued to sleep. "How can you be so stupid? When I'm done with you ..." I was just able to dodge when Mal lunged at me. "It wasn't extra! Really not!", I defended myself, but that didn't seem to matter much.

"You have to be careful, Jay. Did he seriously hurt himself?", Evie asked in a calm voice. She tried to be strong for Carlos.

"I don't think so," I whispered, dodging again as Mal pounced on me. Fortunately, Evie came and pulled her back and said something to her. Mal looked at me angrily again before going to Carlos and kissing his forehead. Evie smiled sadly and I noticed that her eyes were glassy again. Now she also went to Carlos and briefly stroked his cheek.

"We are with you. You are not alone," I heard her whisper and I also went to the two girls. Carlos seemed to be sleeping peacefully and at that moment he looked like a normal boy. Mal looked briefly at Evie and then sat next to Carlos. Evie did the same and I put both hands on her shoulders. Evie leaned against me and took a deep breath. So we sat for the rest of the night and woke up next to our sleeping friend.


	14. We can do it

_**14\. We can do it**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

When I woke up the headache was a little better, but it was far from complete. I tried to open my eyes and closed them again in the bright light. It already seemed to be noon, like the sun was shining. I felt rested and had more strength. I carefully opened my eyes again and noticed a figure with purple hair sitting next to me and looking out of the window with glassy eyes. Mal. I was quite surprised when I saw the look in her eyes. She was crying. And Mal never cried. Immediately I felt guilty again. That was my fault. I sat up carefully and it was actually much better. Mal immediately turned his head and quickly wiped her eyes in front of it.

"Morning. How are you?" I smiled slightly. That would probably always go on now.

"I'm fine, Mal. Don't worry," I calmed her down, grabbed the water glass and took a sip. But Mal just shook her head.

"Very funny, Carlos. You are damn sick and Jay threw you against the wall! How am I not supposed to worry?!" Her voice sounded angry and I sighed softly. That was typical Mal. I didn't really want to talk about the disease and, as far as possible, completely hide it and forget it. I would not live my life according to this illness, even if it was over earlier. It was going to happen anyway and I didn't want to spend the last few weeks of my life in bed.

"I'm really fine. And Jay didn't want that. It's okay." Mal looked at me in disbelief and I sensed that this would end in an argument. So I quickly changed the subject. "Where are the others actually?" She relaxed a bit again.

"They are in my and Evie's room. They both need to sleep." I deliberated. She was probably right there.

"And you?" That was a legitimate question. Mal was just as finished as the others.

"It's okay. I'm fine." I looked at her with skepticism, but I also knew that discussing would be useless now. Mal took a plate from the bedside table and handed it to me. "Here. You have to eat something." I looked at the plate and saw several loaves of bread. I smiled gratefully at her and Mal also gave me a sad smile. My heart ached and I had to swallow. I didn't want to leave her. They were my family. Everything I had. I reached for her hand and squeezed it. Mal looked at me with glassy eyes and this made my heart break. What was I doing to them? I carefully put the plate away and pulled Mal into an embrace. She immediately put her arms around me and I closed my eyes. I would miss her so much. I loved them all so much. I grew up with them and I would not have survived the island without their help. I was so incredibly grateful to them for that and I was even more grateful that they were always there for me and would never leave me alone. Finally, Mal broke away from me and looked at me. There were tears in her eyes. I wiped away one that made her way across her cheek.

"We'll always be the 4 VKs. And we can do it. Because we are rotten..." She smiled. "... to the core," we completed the sentence together. Mal looked at me with a smile.

"Thanks, Carlos." I smiled slightly at her. "No problem." She squeezed my hand again and smiled at me again. This time it was a sincere, happy smile and that also made me happy. I wanted to see them all happy and not sad because I was going to die. And I was sure that we would manage this difficult time together. We had done so much together. And we would do that too. We were the 4 VKs. And no matter what happened, we would always be. Mal reached for the plate again and held it out to me. "So, now you eat that!"


	15. Separations

_**15\. Separations**_

Evie's P.O.V.

A day had passed since Carlos' news. It was still very painful, but we all stayed strong for Carlos. I knew that he needed us during this time. In the meantime, everyone who needed to know knew. Carlos was feeling better and he hadn't had another attack yet. It was 9:00 in the morning and still very quiet at school. Despite everything, somebody of us woke up to Carlos every night because we were afraid that he might have another attack. It was my turn that night and my eyes closed slowly. Carlos insisted that it wasn't necessary, but we could be really stubborn about it. Finally, Carlos moved and slowly woke up. I smiled slightly when I saw how dreamy he looked.

"Good morning. Slept well?", I asked with a smile and Carlos just nodded in response.

"Evie, go lie down. You look completely finished." I sighed and rubbed my hair. I really was, but I was afraid that if I left now, something could happen. Carlos smiled softly at me and an incredible warmth spread through me with his smile. At the same time, it hurt because in the back of my mind I always thought that I would lose him soon and that I would never see that smile again.

"Go on. If there is anything, I'll let you know, all right?" I sighed in resignation. I wouldn't have a chance against this boy anyway.

"You promise me that, don't you?" Carlos nodded, laughing.

"Now go finally!" I smiled gratefully at him and left the room. Since Mal and Jay were probably sleeping in my room, I made my way to Doug. I hadn't done anything to him for a long time, because it came with the island and then Carlos and the shock. My heart contracted at the thought of it, but I stayed strong. Knowing that Doug was already awake, I simply entered the room. He was sitting at the desk and seemed to be learning something. I crept up with a smile and then put my arms around him from behind. I actually expected him to be happy, but he just jumped up in shock and then glared at me. What was going on now?

"Evie! Don't scare me like that!" A little disappointment spread through me. I was really looking forward to spending time with him and that was the greeting.

"I'm sorry. But I thought you would be happy because we haven't done anything in a while." I lowered my head a little disappointed. I actually expected a completely different reaction. Doug narrowed his eyes to slit.

"Yes. Where are you constantly?" I looked at him incredulously. Was he serious?

"With Carlos? You know it!" My heart broke again at the thought of it, but slowly I learned to hide it. And yes, I had told Doug about Carlos. And actually I had assumed that he would assist me.

"I think you spend too much time with him!" Now I got angry. He couldn't be serious! He accused me of being with Carlos too much even though he was going to die soon?

"Are you serious, Doug?! We four are a family! We grew up together and always supported each other! And if you haven't understood it, Carlos will die soon! Then I'll be there for you again!" My voice was pretty sharp and made it pretty clear how angry I was. Doug shook his head.

"I understand that, but you still spend too much time there! He won't get well again!" It felt like he was slapping my face. And my heart hurt. Tears came into my eyes and I sobbed softly. I saw the regret that was now in Doug's eyes, but it did not make up for what was said. "Evie, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to cry." He wanted to take my hand, but I slapped it away. No, it was enough. Although my heart broke again, I did it.

"Let it go, Doug. And if you think so, it's better if we go our separate ways from now on."


	16. Harry

_**16\. Harry**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

A few hours later I was on my feet again for the first time in days. Mal and Jay had scolded and worried a lot, but I wanted to slowly come back to life. Evie had been pretty strange since she returned, but she didn't want to tell us what was going on. I was really worried about her. Evie was never like that. We were on our way to the museum. We had never really looked at it and a day without stress for all of us would be good for us. I noticed, of course, the worried looks which my friends gave me, but luckily they didn't keep asking if everything was okay. Because then I would probably go crazy at some point. Jay opened the museum door for us and we entered together.

"So, where first?", Evie asked friendly. But I couldn't miss the tears in her eyes. I had to talk to her later. Mal thought.

"Where we started back then." I and Jay grinned at us and Evie nodded in agreement. We weren't really proud of what we were doing back then, but what we didn't do was what made us special today. We walked up the stairs together, but after a few meters, I noticed that my lungs could not really participate. Mal noticed it and turned around worried. "Are you all right, Carlos?" I nodded.

"Yes, but maybe we can slow down a bit." Jay put a hand on my shoulder.

"Of course." So we climbed the many steps a little more slowly. But when we entered the room, the next shock hit us. A dark-clad figure held the wand in his hand.

"Hey!", Mal called and the figure looked at us. But I couldn't see her face. But the figure didn't flare for long and at the next moment, a golden beam shot out of the staff. Then came an incredibly loud crash. While Mal and Jay were taking care of the person, I and Evie ran to the window to see what it was. And then I was shocked. I also heard Evie softly "No!" mumble. We could clearly see the magical wall around the island slowly starting to dissolve. It couldn't be! I just couldn't get my head around the fact that the danger from there was now free. I turned to the others, just as Mal tore the hood off his face. And then I gasped in surprise. How did he get here? The others seemed to be asking the same question. Mal and Jay gave each other a confused look and Evie looked totally exhausted.

"What are you doing here, Harry?", Mal hissed. Harry just grinned in response.

"What does it look like?" I felt a hand close to mine and looked at Evie, who looked completely perplexed. But I could understand it.

"How do you get here, Harry?", I asked. Harry grinned again.

"You didn't really think that you escaped me." It was then that I realized what had happened and gave Jay an incredulous look that could only be returned. The day on the island! He must have jumped through the magic wall right behind us and somehow got here. Evie looked completely surprised and I was no different. Mal stayed as usual and pressed Harry tighter on the ground so that he couldn't tear himself away.

"You won't get away with this!", Mal hissed, but Harry just laughed in response.

"But you're very wrong. Do you really think we haven't made any plans over the years?" Evie squeezed my hand harder and then looked at me desperately. Without thinking twice, I put an arm around her and pulled her towards me. Harry laughed. "If you think you're safe here, you've made a huge mistake. The villains will be here soon. And Auradon will be theirs."


	17. We have a big problem!

_**17\. We have a big problem!**_

Mal's P.O.V:

"Ben!" A couple of palace employees looked at me grumpily and with raised eyebrows since I didn't behave like a queen by screaming through half the hall here, but we were having completely different problems. The wall had to be restored immediately! Otherwise, the villains would be free and Auradon and all of us in danger! Carlos, Jay, and Evie ran behind me and my eyes rested briefly on the boy with the black and white hair, who immediately rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine, Mal. Now, quickly to Ben!" I knew we had to be careful. We didn't need another fit. Because I still didn't know what to do then. But Carlos was right. We had to go to Ben first. Without knocking, I opened the door to his study and the young king winced.

"Mal, what was that all about?", he asked in horror when he recovered a little from his shock. As always when I looked into his eyes, my heart beat a little faster. I never expected to fall in love. But I immediately concentrated on the reason why I was here.

"We have a big problem!", Jay replied instead of me and seemed quite concerned. Ben's expression changed instantly.

"What happened?" I looked briefly at my friends. Jay looked rather worried while Carlos held Evie in her arms, who looked completely confused and finished. Carlos himself looked unsettled and a little confused. About the way, I felt, but I would never show it. I turned back to Ben.

"We just got out of the museum. And that's where we met Harry." Ben stared at me wide-eyed before getting up and coming up to us. He knew Harry from the island and knew how dangerous he was.

"How can that be?" Ben looked totally confused and seemed to be thinking about how Harry got here. But he still didn't know we had a much bigger problem. My stomach contracted at the thought of it.

"It doesn't matter, Ben! He managed to get the wand! The magic wall around the island has been destroyed! The evil magic is free now!" Ben stared at me stunned.

"Do you mean that seriously?" Did he seriously think I was joking about it? Anger spread through me, but I tried to stay calm.

"As if I'm joking about it! We have to do something right now!" Ben paced the room, then picked up his phone.

"Send the Fairy Godmother here! As soon as possible!" Then he looked at us again. "Where's Harry now?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"The guards took him away." Ben wiped his face.

"Okay, we'll get there." He looked at us again. "Thank you. You should take a little rest." His eyes fell on Carlos and again everything contracted in me. I would probably have to keep thinking about it now and be reminded that he was going to die soon. Of course, Carlos also knew who Ben was referring to and he sighed loudly.

"Guys, I'm sick, but you don't have to worry all the time. I can decide when it's enough." Jay put a hand on Carlos' shoulder.

"Alright. But you never say anything and continue anyway, even though you shouldn't." Carlos groaned in annoyance, but he also knew that he needed a lot of rest and the many races hadn't been good either. Evie squeezed his hand and I had to suppress a smile when I saw the two of them together. They had known each other for a long time and Carlos had always been one of Evie's most important caregivers.

"I'm coming with you, okay? And you're going to sleep!" I grinned when I heard Evie's commanding voice, which didn't really fit the petite, lovely girl in front of me. Ben nodded in agreement.

"We'll find a solution. Don't worry."


	18. Heartache

_**18\. Heartache**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

Great. Now I was back in my bed, where I had been spending far too much time recently. Evie sat next to me and looked out of the window, lost in thought. Again, this strange behavior. Since I couldn't do anything else anyway, I could use the time. I wanted to talk to her anyway.

"Evie, are you all right?" A smile immediately fell on her red lips, but I knew her well enough to know that it was not real.

"Of course. You should also sleep, Carlos!" But I didn't give up that easily.

"I'm not blind. What's going on?" The smile slipped off her face and worry spread through me. What had happened when she wasn't with us? And then tears came to her eyes. Without thinking, I pulled her into my arms and Evie started to cry. My arms were wrapped around her delicate body and I hugged her tightly. The girl on my chest sobbed all the time and it almost broke my heart. I hated to see her cry. What had happened? I had no idea how much time had passed before Evie calmed down a little. But still, she lay there and didn't go away, but it was fine. Evie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Apparently, she was trying to calm down. Only now did I notice how fast my heart was beating. I hadn't noticed that because of Evie's condition. The girl on me raised her head and looked at me with tearful green eyes and I saw how finished she was. It had to be very hard for her. First, all the stress with Auradon and Mal, then my illness, the magic wall was destroyed and finally, what had happened and of which I didn't know anything. The guilty conscience spread through me again. It was also my fault that she was doing so badly.

"Evie, if you want to talk, I'll be there," I said softly and the girl smiled sadly.

"I and Doug split up." I looked at her in shock. Why? They fit together perfectly.

"What? Why?", I asked, trying to keep calm for her. Now I understood why she was so bad. It didn't have to be easy. Evie looked at her hands and I became more and more worried. I gently put my fingers under her chin and lifted her face so that she had to look at me. Her eyes cast a spell over me. "What happened?" Evie swallowed hard.

"It was because of you." Everything in me contracted. They broke up because of me?! Why? I dropped my hand in horror, but Evie quickly held it and looked me straight in the eyes. I could see so much in her eyes: fear, despair, vulnerability, anger, but also love and warmth. My heart beat a little faster. What was going on now?

"W-why?", I breathed softly, not even noticing that I was crossing my fingers with hers.

"Because I'm with you so much. He's not the right one for me, Carlos. He never was." I sighed softly. It wasn't like I didn't tell her she didn't have to stay with me. But deep down I was happy about it. Suddenly Evie leaned forward and I guessed where it was going. My heart was pounding at the thought of it and I wanted to. She came closer and closer to me and I felt her breath on my face. An incredible warmth spread through me and it was incredibly pleasant. But just before our lips touched, something occurred to me and I held her back. She looked at me hurt and it almost broke my heart.

"Evie, do you know what you're getting yourself into?", I breathed. I wanted it. I wanted to kiss her, but she had to be aware of everything that came with the illness. Evie understood and grief but understanding flashed in her eyes. She gently put a hand on my cheek.

"Yes, I know that for sure." And with that, I closed my eyes, relaxed, and let our lips meet.


	19. New feelings and another seizure

_**19\. New feelings and another seizure**_

Evie's P.O.V.

I didn't know where the need for it came from now, but that moment had been so incredibly magical. Carlos carefully buried his fingers in my hair and put a hand on my neck. An incredibly beautiful feeling spread in my heart and where he touched me, goosebumps developed. My hand stayed on his cheek while the other was on his chest. Carlos began to move his lips on mine very gently and I replied immediately. I had never felt feelings so beautiful. I had always seen Carlos as a very good friend, but he was more. Much more. Again, my heart almost broke at the thought that I would soon lose him forever. And now the pain was more intense. And I realized that I had fallen in love with this boy. At that moment the door opened and Carlos and I literally jumped apart. A smiling Mal and a grinning Jay stood in front of us and looked at us knowingly. I looked at Carlos, who blushed slightly and had to smile.

"Did we bother you?", Jay asked, grinning to himself.

"I ... well, uh ..." Carlos didn't really seem to know what to say and I didn't know it either. Only now did I realize that I was still lying on him. I quickly got up and tried to look as calm as possible, but inside I freaked out. I had never experienced such beautiful feelings. Not even with Doug. Mal laughed.

"It's okay. We know what just happened anyway. But Carlos, shouldn't you be sleeping?" I slapped my forehead inwardly. Damn it. I had completely forgotten that.

"No. I'm fine. But what happens to the magic wall now?" When he raised the issue, I was worried again. That was really a good question. It had to be acted quickly before all the evil creatures like our parents could come off the island. Mal's face grew hard and Jay looked serious again.

"I have no idea, Carlos. We can only hope that the Fairy Godmother will get it back on time," Mal replied to me and Carlos looked frustrated. I'm worried. Hope didn't sound good. It was like waiting for something to happen. And at that moment I felt a tremor next to me. I turned in confusion and then cried out. No! Please not! Mal and Jay came running immediately and there were concern and a little panic in their eyes. Tears stung my eyes and I also trembled a little. What should we do now? Carlos was cramping properly and his eyes were wide open. He hardly seemed to be able to breathe! Panic spread through me. Could he suffocate?!

"I'm calling a doctor!", Jay said, jumping up. Mal looked calm, but I saw the fear in her eyes. I was also terrified. I did the only thing I could do. Calm him down somehow. I carefully put a hand on his cheek and tried to suppress the tears.

"It's all good. We're with you," I breathed, unable to stop the tears. Why? I still asked myself this question, but I knew that nobody could answer it. Mal took his hand and squeezed it.

"Breathe on very calmly. It will be better in a moment. And the doctor will come soon." Carlos tried to normalize his breath, but it didn't seem to be working. My hand trembled on his cheek when Jay suddenly ran in.

"The doctor will be there any minute." With a worried face, he also sat next to Carlos. "Keep calm, Carlos." My heart almost broke at the picture in front of me. Cramps rushed through his body and he gasped for breath. My tears never stopped running. Would we lose him now? No! I couldn't think of that! Carlos was strong! He would do it! But deep down I knew it wasn't true. Carlos would soon lose the fight. Very soon.


	20. Shock message and a promise

_**20\. Shock message and a promise**_

Jay's P.O.V.

It might take a few minutes for the doctor to come, but it felt like hours. Carlos' cramps were not getting any better. He could hardly breathe and slowly the anger spread again in me. It wasn't fair! Why he? The youngest and most innocent of us. The doctor pushed past us and sprayed him something.

"What are you doing?", Mal asked suspiciously. She was just like that. Especially when it came to Carlos. I knew he was like a little brother to all of us.

"A remedy that relieves his cramps." And in fact, they were getting better. Evie was still crying and I went over to put my hands on her shoulders. I knew how important Carlos was to her. The two had known each other for a long time and I knew that they had developed stronger feelings for each other in the meantime. The doctor did a few other examinations on the boy in front of us who had fallen asleep. Mal gave me a look that told me everything and let incredible anger rise again in me. Finally, the doctor stepped back and looked at us with a straight face. An uneasy feeling spread through me, Evie started to shake a lot and Mal didn't move, but I knew her well enough to know that she was also very worried. "I have something important to tell you," said the doctor, looking at each of us.

"Say it already!", Mal hissed and her voice sounded tense. What would come now? I had no inkling of the facial expression.

"The disease seems to be spreading faster than expected. I'm sorry to have to tell you, but he won't be there for six months. If he's lucky, maybe a few more weeks." That was too much! Everything in me stood still for a moment, trying to understand what the doctor had just said. We would lose Carlos much sooner! And a half year wasn't much! The tremendous anger in me suddenly turned into deep sadness. Why? I didn't know how many times I had asked myself this question, but nobody seemed to be able to answer it. I had clung to the thought that we had half a year to prepare for his death. But now it seemed like we had to do it from now on. But that was too much. I looked at the sleeping boy in front of us, my little brother. Evie was still staring at the doctor in stunned tears running down her cheeks. Mal's gaze was fixed, but it was clear that she felt the same pain as we did.

"It can't be!", she shouted in a tearful voice. The doctor looked at her pityingly.

"I am sorry." With these words, he left the room and left us completely stunned and overwhelmed. Mal got up from the bed and went to the window. At that moment Evie collapsed on the bed crying. I couldn't comfort her. I didn't know how to deal with this message myself. Mal looked briefly at me and at that moment I saw the pain glint in her eyes.

"We have to accept it, Jay." I knew how she went about these things. She tried to suppress everything related to feelings, especially those that really hurt. But we loved Carlos too much for that. I didn't know how much time passed when I stood frozen in the room, Evie cried, Mal stood at the window and nobody said a word. Eventually, Evie calmed down, but probably only because she had no more tears and was too exhausted. I too could free myself from my rigidity and Mal came resolutely towards us. Finally, she stood in front of us and held out her hand. "Let us promise we'll stay with him no matter how hard it is. Until the end." I swallowed when I realized that it would be soon. Evie put her hand on Mal's.

"For our beloved Carlos." She was still fighting against the tears but trying to be strong. I also put my hand on that of the girls.

"Forever."


	21. Why?

_**21\. Why?**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

Breathing was still a little difficult when I came to me, but it was easier than when I had the attack. For that, my head ached incredibly and I couldn't open my eyes. Frustration spread through me. Was I too weak to open my eyes now? Annoyed I tried it again and even made it a little bit, but my vision was completely blurred and I couldn't really see anything. I also couldn't really move, which slowly scared me. Was that normal? I blinked several times and in fact, my vision became a little bit clearer. I could see shapes. Two figures lay in the bed next to me. I couldn't say if they were asleep or awake. But at least I could tell from her hair color that they were Jay and Mal. I tried to move my head and even made it, but it took an enormous amount of strength. The figure on the other side, right next to me, had blue hair and only now did I notice that someone was holding my hand. Evie. For a brief moment, my heart beat faster. But I couldn't think about it anymore, because at that moment the darkness hit me again.

When I woke up again, I managed to open my eyes a little faster, but my vision remained blurred. Slowly it got on my nerves. Was it always like this after an attack? I felt so weak and helpless. After blinking several times, I could see a figure standing at the end of the bed and now running towards me. I knew by her stature that it was Jay. After a while, I finally saw his face. It looked tired and was marked by sadness and worry.

"Hey." I couldn't do more than that. My voice was cracked and my throat ached with every word. Jay looked at me with a relieved smile.

"Hi, Carlos." I struggled to turn my head. It was so difficult for me. As if I slept for days.

"Where are the others?", I asked when I couldn't find any more people in the room. Jay sat next to me and looked down at me.

"Mal had an important meeting with Ben and Evie ... I got her out of here. She's completely finished." Evie ... My heart broke at the thought of her condition. And at that moment I realized that love felt that way. When you can no longer imagine life without the person. I just nodded. I couldn't really speak. But I still had to ask a question.

"How long have I slept?" And at that moment I noticed that Jay was fighting with himself. As so often, feelings of guilt spread through me. What was I doing to them?

"Three days, Carlos. We thought you wouldn't wake up at all." His voice trembled a little at the last words. But it shocked me as well. Three days?! How was that possible? I swallowed and looked at Jay.

"Don't worry. I have six months left." I said that it was like a lot. But I knew how little it was. But I noticed that I was slowly coming to terms with it. I had no choice. At that moment a tear ran down Jay's cheek and panic spread through me. What was going on? What did he know that I didn't know?! "Jay?!" My voice was shaking. I was afraid. He clearly knew something I didn't know. He looked at me and I had never seen so much pain in his eyes. I started to tremble. Jay said nothing. "Please, Jay!" He looked at me again. His eyes were full of tears.

"We'll stay with you until the end, Carlos." Incredible warmth spread through my heart. I was so thankful to them. But I knew there was something bad I didn't know yet. Jay took a deep breath before continuing. "You have less than six months. If you are lucky, a few weeks."


	22. More bad news

_**22\. More bad news**_

Mal's P.O.V.

Ben was talking to the Fairy Godmother. But I didn't notice anything because my thoughts were somewhere else. We had to prepare for his death much faster than we thought. And I knew I couldn't do it. Carlos was too young to die. I didn't know how to deal with all the feelings in me. It was too much. My eyes filled with tears, but I didn't let it happen. I was not weak! I was Mal the daughter of the evil Maleficent! At that moment I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around. Ben stood behind me, looking at me worriedly. My heart beat faster as always when I looked into his eyes.

"Are you all right, Mal? You look pretty finished." I took a deep breath. I couldn't let that show. So I put on a fake smile.

"It's all right." And when I said that, my heart broke. No, everything was wrong! Carlos would die in the near future! And then I couldn't stop the tears. God, how embarrassing was that? Ben looked at me briefly in surprise before he hugged me gently.

"What's happening?" I clung to him. It broke my heart that we would soon lose our little Carlos.

"Carlos," I sobbed. Ben held me tighter. He knew how important Carlos was to me and he also liked Carlos. Very. "He'll die in the near future. The doctor gave him at most a few weeks!" Ben tensed up and I knew the news was a shock to him too.

"What?", he whispered and his voice trembled too. I said nothing more, just clasped the boy in front of me. It hurt so much. And it was one thing above all: damn unfair. "I have more bad news," whispered Ben, and I looked up at him. That sounded serious. And then I saw the fear and worry in his eyes. That was not good. That was not a good thing at all. "The Fairy Godmother can't fix the magic wall yet. And ... your parents are on the way to Auradon with other villains." My heart stopped. What?! Carlos, Jay and Evie's parents were on their way here?! That was damn bad news!

"What?", I asked incredulously. Ben nodded kinked.

"Yes." I detached myself from him and ran back and forth.

"It really can't be true!" If they reached Auradon, we would have no chance! They were totally dangerous! "Ben, what should we do? They are unpredictable!" Ben sighed audibly.

"I'm afraid we can't avoid a fight." Everything in me contracted. We should fight so many villains?! I thought I, Evie, Jay, and Carlos actually knew how to do it, but probably not the others. And Carlos wouldn't be able to fight anymore. My heart contracted again at the thought, but now was not the time for grief and tears. Ben sighed dejectedly. "I'm sorry. But we don't have time anymore. We have to prepare now." I tensed up but nodded. I knew we didn't have a choice unless we just wanted to die. Our parents were probably pretty angry with us and I didn't want to imagine what they would do with us. Ben put a hand on my shoulder. "We make it." I looked at him angrily. He greatly underestimated the situation.

"Do you even know what to expect? You have no idea how to fight these villains! Jay, Evie and I can only do it! Carlos can, but not in his condition!" My heart broke again. It hurt so much. How quickly his condition had deteriorated. Ben looked at me sadly and he felt the same pain.

"I know Carlos probably won't be able to." Then he looked at me with a slight smile. "But the rest of it isn't true. Don't underestimate us."


	23. I love you

_**23\. I love you**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

I lay in my bed, Evie on my chest, thinking. I would die! That was nothing new, but it would happen much earlier than expected. I took a deep breath and Evie stirred, but thank God continued to sleep. She had come in earlier, completely exhausted, and crying. I was in complete shock when Jay told me what was going to happen. And then she stumbled into my arms and we both started crying. Evie had fallen asleep at some point and even though I was exhausted, I couldn't. My one hand was on her back as I stroked her hair with the other. I was afraid. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I didn't know if it would hurt to die. I didn't know where I would go then. I just hoped it would be over soon. I sighed softly and pressed Evie closer to me. I loved this girl so much. And I was afraid of that too. To leave she and my friends. Suddenly Evie stirred and sat up sleepily. I had to smile. Evie looked really beautiful.

"Slept well?", I asked her gently. Evie sighed and reached for my hand.

"Not really." I knew what she was talking about and had to swallow. At that moment she reached out a hand and gently stroked my cheek. I closed my eyes and enjoyed their touch. My heart beat faster and goosebumps spread over my body. I felt that Evie was getting closer and had to smile again. Her breath hit my lips and I carefully put my hands on her waist. I was really inexperienced in this area. She gently put her lips on mine and I immediately pulled her completely on me. Evie made a surprised sound and I had to giggle slightly. I had never heard such an innocent sound. I gently returned the kiss and enjoyed the warmth in my stomach. Suddenly Evie broke away from me and looked at me. Her face was slightly red and her hair was disheveled, but I probably looked the same. But her face was serious. I looked at her questioningly. What was going on? Evie reached out a hand and gently ran my cheek.

"Carlos, I love you." These words took my breath away. Did she really say that? It was like my heart was jumping for joy.

"Really?", I whispered and only when I realized how stupid the question was. But I wasn't used to that. To be loved. I smiled softly. I knew it was my turn now. I took a deep breath. "I love you too." Evie smiled warmly at me and this time I was the one who pulled her and kissed her. I put one hand on her waist and the other on the back of her neck while her hands were on my chest. Suddenly the door opened and Evie immediately pulled away from me. A confused Jay stood in front of us and eyed us with interest.

"Uh ..." Apparently, he didn't really know what to say. I didn't know either and immediately turned bright red. Jay closed the door behind him and came to us. "How are you, Carlos?", he asked and I got serious straight away. Please not the topic.

"Quite well. But can we talk about something else, please?" Evie and Jay gave each other a worried look, but I didn't blame them. The door suddenly burst open. I winced in shock, Jay whirled around and Evie let out a startled squeak. A thoughtful Mal and a worried Ben stood before us. Both were quite out of breath and they seemed to have run. That was not good. Evie reached for my hand and a small smile stole onto my lips. But it vanished at the first glance from Mal. Something was wrong.

"What's going on?", Jay asked, who obviously had noticed that too. Mal looked at us.

"We have a big problem. The Fairy Godmother can't fix the wall so quickly. And your parents are on the way here now."


	24. I stay with you

_**24\. I stay with you**_

Evie's P.O.V.

Everything in me contracted. Our parents ... were on the way to Auradon?! Carlos' hand closed tightly on mine and I could understand his reaction. He had been abused by her for years and it was terrible for him to see her again. Jay looked pretty angry and I ... I was scared. They certainly didn't come to see us because they missed us. They sure wanted revenge. Revenge for not stealing the wand. Revenge for turning Maleficent into a lizard. Revenge for leaving them on the island. And revenge for choosing the good and betraying them. I swallowed hard.

"What do we want to do against it?", Jay asked in a tight voice. His hands were clenched into fists and his posture revealed how angry he was. Ben sighed and rubbed his face in despair.

"I'm afraid nothing. We won't be able to avoid a fight." I tensed up. That would probably not end well. I didn't know how far Auradon could defend himself against the villains. Jay snorted angrily.

"And how are we supposed to do THIS? The villains are damn dangerous! They know something about fighting!" Mal went to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I said that too. But a lot of people in Auradon have magic and can use weapons. And we're still there." Jay didn't look convinced, but then I thought of something.

"But Carlos can't fight." Next to me I heard an indignant snort and turned to the boy.

"Immediately forget that I will stay here and leave you alone! I certainly won't do that!" Ben looked at Carlos worriedly.

"Thank you, Carlos, but you really should rest." Carlos now seemed really pissed off and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I won't leave you alone! And honestly, I'd rather die by your side earlier than lying in bed forever and slowly." Tears came to my eyes. My heart burned when he said that. I noticed from the corner of my eye that Mal reached for Ben's hand and Jay visibly tensed. Then Mal and Jay came to the bed and hugged me and Carlos tightly.

"We'll stay with you until the end," Mal whispered.

"And beyond," I breathed, letting the tears flow. Carlos swallowed and seemed to be fighting tears as well.

"I know. And I will stay with you. Even after my death." And at that moment all the dams broke. We all started to cry at the same time and gave each other support. It hurt so much, but their embrace and the knowledge that they were with me gave me the strength which I needed. Finally, we calmed down and looked at each other. It was like making a silent promise. We would always stay together no matter what happened. Ben looked at us sadly.

"I'm sorry, Carlos. I wish I could help you in some way." Carlos smiled sadly.

"It's okay. I know you would if you could." I still couldn't believe that we would soon lose this great person. Ben sighed. Carlos looked determinedly. "There are enough weapons here, right?" Jay sighed desperately.

"Carlos, do you really want to do this?" The boy with the black and white hair nodded resolutely and I had to smile sadly. If he had decided on something, he would go through with it. He had always been like that.

"But take care of yourself," I whispered, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. I didn't know why I did it. Carlos blushed slightly and the others grinned at us knowingly.

"Okay, it's best to stay here. I'll get you swords." With these words, Ben disappeared. Mal sighed.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Carlos wanted to say something but was interrupted by a loud shout from outside.

"The villains are coming!"


	25. Dangerous situation

_**25\. Dangerous situation**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

I was on my feet in seconds. Everything turned for a moment, but luckily it got better quickly.

"Damn it!", Jay hissed, looking around the room for something to defend himself with. But there was nothing. Evie hugged me anxiously and involuntarily I retired to the back of the room. Mal seemed to be considering what made the most sense now. I looked briefly out of the window and froze.

"Guys!", I breathed and when the others saw what was going on out there, they gasped. Countless villains ran around fighting the residents of Auradon.

"What are we going to do now?", Evie asked quietly. I pulled her closer to me.

"We can only hope that they won't find us and Ben will be back quickly. Jay, lock the door!" Mal pointed to the room door and Jay did as he was told. Just in time, because at that moment, there was a pounding on the door. Apparently, the villains had already overwhelmed the guards at the doors.

"Open up! I know you're in here!" Adrenaline raced through my body. Fortunately, it wasn't one of our parents, but neither was Ben. We all involuntarily retreated to the back of the room. Evie had her arms wrapped around my stomach and was trembling all over. Mal and Jay looked determined and I was too. I made my decision. I would die soon anyway. And there was no nicer place to do it as with the people I loved. The shaking and kicking at the door grew stronger. Who was that, please?! And then the door swung open with a loud crash. In front of us stood Gothel's daughter, with a grin on her face and a knife in her hand. Shit. It didn't look good. "Oh, who do we have there? Our little traitors." Her eyes narrowed.

"Giselle," hissed Mal. The young woman rocked the knife in her hand.

"How do you think your parents are proud when I tell them that I found you?" My heart cramped when she mentioned my mother. Giselle's eyes went over us and she smiled victoriously. "And so helpless too." Jay clenched his fists.

"I'll show you how helpless I am." He wanted to pounce on Giselle, but Mal stopped him.

"This is a suicide, Jay." He only snorted in response. I pulled Evie closer to reassure her. I was also scared myself, but the worst thing you could do now was to show it openly. Giselle grinned.

"But you know what? I want my fun too. Your parents should kill everyone else. You belong to me." Uh oh. That's it. At that moment, another voice came.

"You would like that." I exhaled in relief when I saw Ben with the swords. Giselle whirled around and Ben threw the swords at us. Giselle hissed angrily.

"Prince Beast." Ben grinned.

"Hello, nameless girl." Mal swung the sword in her hand and gently nourished Giselle. Evie broke away from me and smiled slightly at me. My poor heart. But then Giselle turned abruptly and grinned once.

"Do you really think I would be so stupid?" I sighed.

"You know, Giselle, there are five of us. Just let it be," I said annoyed, but Giselle just laughed.

"Of course. I just give up without a fight." With these words, she jumped at Mal, who was already prepared for it and skillfully parried her blows. I looked around the room to find something to knock Giselle out with. My eyes fell on the lamp on the bedside table. Without thinking twice, I ran over and picked it up. Finally, Giselle turned her back to me and that was my chance. I quickly hit the lamp on her head and the girl slumped. Mal nodded gratefully and I smiled in response.

"Come on. Get out quickly!"


	26. Fights

_**26\. Fights**_

Jay's P.O.V.

The Hell was going on outside. Everywhere fought good against evil. The clang of clashing swords filled the garden and now and then a scream could be heard. "Then let's go," Mal said, holding out her hand. I knew what she wanted and the others too. We put our hands on each other with a smile. We would do it together. "We can do it. Because we are rotten...", Mal began and I smiled at Carlos and Evie, who also grinned.

"... to the core," we finished the sentence together. With these words, we loosened our hands and went into the fight with a last smile to the others. The first person I met was Henry. He was the son of Prince Hans and as sneaky as his father.

"Oh, hello, Jay," he said with a contemptuous grin.

"Hi. Nice to see you again," I replied with a sarcastic smile. Henry hissed and pounced on me. I quickly stopped his blows and started to attack. But one thing had to be left to the boy. He could handle swords well. I wiped out his blow, which seemed to make him angrier. A grin stole on my lips. Now he was more concentrated due to his anger. I attacked again and pushed Henry back a little. And it worked. He stumbled over the stone behind him and fell to the floor. I walked to him satisfied and hit the handle of the sword on his head so that he passed out. I wouldn't kill anyone here. I looked around for Carlos and saw him a few yards away with Gil, the stupid son of Gaston. I smiled when I saw Carlos move like a cat despite his illness. Gil couldn't keep up with him. In spite of everything, worry spread within me. He had to be careful. At that moment, Hans' daughter stood in front of me. Harper glared at me angrily.

"My brother!", she hissed and I smiled as innocently as possible.

"I'm sorry, but he attacked me first." She swung her sword angrily.

"I'll wreck you." If she wanted a fight, she could get it. I was still smiling when Harper attacked me with a loud, shrill scream. You didn't have to shout that way, did you? The fight was over pretty quickly. Harper couldn't really handle a sword. It was far too weak to hold and use properly. With a kick on my part, she lost her balance and fell to the ground. I did the same with her as I did with her brother. Then I noticed Carlos gasped. My worry became to panic. No! Please not! I ran to him.

"Carlos, what's up?" The boy's chest rose and fell fairly irregularly.

"It's okay. I'm fine." I put a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"Wouldn't you like to take a break?" Carlos glared at me.

"No! That doesn't work! I stay here!" I sighed. He was so stubborn.

"If you think." I looked at Evie, who was fighting with Gasp, Gaston's other son. Mal was busy with Aamon, the son of Anastasia. Finally, Evie also noticed that something was wrong with Carlos and came running. She gently took his face in her hands and looked at him with concern.

"Are you okay? Has something happened?" Carlos took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now don't worry about me." Mal also came now.

"I would say one of us will get you out of here. I don't want to risk you tipping us over here and stopping breathing in our arms." My heart stopped for a moment. I still couldn't really believe it. My little brother, my best friend. And soon we had to say goodbye to him forever. Carlos was about to say something angry when a familiar voice sounded.

"Well, who do we have here?" We stood there frozen. I was hoping I would never hear them again. We turned carefully and they stood in front of us. Our parents.


	27. Reunion and a dangerous offer

_**27\. Reunion and a dangerous offer**_

Mal's P.O.V.

We stood there frozen. That couldn't be true. A mean grin graced their faces and everything in me contracted. They weren't my parents, but it was no less dangerous. And in the eyes of the others, I only recognized pure panic. Carlos, in particular, looked completely scared and I could understand it. Anger spread through me. How could she do that to him? Cruella DeVil smiled cruelly.

"You're still just as useless as before! You couldn't even steal a wand, but you could betray us! You'll bitterly regret that now!" Carlos swallowed but remained strong. Evie reached for his hand and squeezed it. Jay put both hands on his shoulders and I put one hand on his arm. None of us said anything when Cruella suddenly yelled: "Stop!". Wow, when that woman screamed it really hurt your ears. Poor Carlos. It was instantly silent and many confused and frightened looks were upon us. I hadn't noticed how fast I was breathing and how hard my heart was beating. But Carlos' breath was choppy. Damn it! He would not be able to keep it up for long. "Oh, look at you, you can't even fight without suffocating," laughed Cruella and the anger in me made my eyes light up green. How could she say that?! Her son would die! Carlos tensed and his breath went faster.

"Carlos, hey, calm down," Evie said softly, but I noticed the panic in her voice. She was as scared as I was.

"He's sick!", Jay yelled, who was probably as angry as I was. Jafar laughed.

"Oh, how cute. A cold, Jay?" Jay clenched his fists.

"No, no cold! He'll die of it soon!" I didn't expect them to show compassion, and they didn't. They didn't care. And that made me mad. How could anyone care so much about this wonderful person? Behind Cruella, you sometimes heard horrified panting from people who care about Carlos and who hadn't known about the disease until now. I turned the sword in my hand.

"Get out of here! You haven't lost anything here!" The evil queen laughed.

"Oh, honey, do you really think we'll just go like this? I would have thought you wiser." Evie snorted angrily and Jay clenched his hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Carlos only looked into space and scared me a lot.

"Okay, I have an idea. We want some fun too," grinned Jafar, throwing his sword up to catch it again. I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Jafar was very sneaky and I doubted it was a fair idea.

"Yes?", I said anyway. He laughed badly.

"You against us. If you win, we'll go back to the island, never come back and leave you alone." I looked at him suspiciously. Where was the catch now? "But if we win, Auradon will be ours!" Oh, there he was. I heard horrifying gasps now and then footsteps.

"Mal, think about what you're doing. Carlos won't be able to do that. And I don't know if that's not too risky," I heard Ben say softly. But my decision had long been made. We had no other choice. Auradon had no chance against all the villains who had been preparing for this day all their lives. So there was still a small way to save the country. But the argument with Carlos bothered me. I looked at him briefly and saw more determination in his eyes than ever before. He nodded to me, letting me know what to do. I looked at the people around me again. They were all exhausted and just waiting for my decision. There was no way out. We had no other option. I reached out and handed it to Jafar.

"OK."


	28. Just one chance

_**28\. Just one chance**_

Carlos's P.O.V.

I didn't know what to think about Mal's decision. It was risky. More than risky but I also knew we had no other option. Jafar laughed and came casually towards Jay, who tightened his grip on his sword. Evie looked at me briefly and said more at a glance than words could ever say. My heart beat faster and I smiled at her. But then I was torn from my thoughts by steps in front of me. Cruella came up to me laughing, but I stifled the fear and looked at her firmly.

"I'm with you, Carlos," I heard Mali say at my side and nodded gratefully. I was really happy that she was there. Because in my condition I wouldn't be able to do it alone. My breath was very poor and my muscles were tired, but I ignored it. I couldn't stop now. I had to do that now. Swords hit each other and I and Mal attacked at the same time. But Cruella also knew how it worked. It was hard, well placed, and I quickly reached my limits. Fuck sickness. Fortunately, Mal was there too. I wanted to check on Evie and Jay, but my mother couldn't.

"You're really the worst son you can have." I was shocked, but to my surprise, I was not hurt. Because it wasn't me who was terrible.

"No, mother. You are the worst mother you can have." My mother looked at me angrily, but we both knew it was the truth. Our swords met again when suddenly there was a loud scream next to us and then a muffled sound. I turned around like a jerk and my fear for Evie grew. But when her blue eyes met mine, relief spread through me. The evil queen lay on the ground and passed out.

"Go help Jay!", Mal shouted next to me and went back to my mother. But the fight was slowly too much for my body. Everything inside me screamed that I should stop, but my heart whispered to me to continue for my friends and I listened. My lungs burned, but I didn't care. I kicked in shock at mother's sword, which was obviously not prepared for it. It blew up in the air and Mal caught it.

"It's over, mother!", I said firmly. I wouldn't kill her. Even though she had caused me terrible pain, she was still my mother. Cruella looked around for a gun, but there was nothing left. And then Jafar also failed. Evie ran towards me and pulled me into her arms. I smiled and pulled her to me and gave her a kiss on the head. Smiling, she broke away from me and went to one of the guards who looked after her mother. My mother and Jafar had already been taken away. And then there was loud cheering around us. But it was too much for me. The sounds were far too loud, louder than usual. My heart was beating incredibly fast and I could hardly breathe. I tried to suppress panic. It was all good. But I knew it wasn't true. I hadn't listened to my body's warning signals and it was my fault now. And then I realized that it was time. The panic in me grew even bigger. I would die now! That told me something in me! And I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I no longer noticed anything around me. I only heard a few people saying and calling my name and someone shook my shoulder, but I was in a trance. I gasped, tried to get as much oxygen as possible into my burning lungs, but it was hopeless. It was like I couldn't breathe. The screams around me grew louder, but I couldn't get out of this trance. And then the moment came when the weakness overwhelmed me and I broke down.


	29. The end of the pain

_**29\. The end of the pain**_

Carlos' P.O.V.

When I hit the floor, I immediately noticed that someone was laying me on something soft. I blinked several times and my vision became a little clearer. The face of a crying Evie appeared over me and my head was in her lap as she stroked my hair trembling. Jay and Mal knelt beside me and were clearly fighting with tears. They shouldn't cry. Not because of me.

"Please don't cry," I whispered, and that was so incredibly difficult for me alone. Mal looked up, her eyes glittering sadly.

"How then, Carlos? You will leave us forever now." When she said that, everything contracted in me. Forever. No. I would not.

"No, Mal. I won't leave you forever. I know we'll see each other again. And I told you I'll always be with you." But I knew that it would now be time to say goodbye. And that almost broke my heart, but I took a deep breath and turned to Mal. "Mal, I can't say enough thank you for everything. For always being there for me and supporting me. For your help, brought us to turn to the good. That you were always with me. Thank you." Mal swallowed and took my hand in hers. She stroked her thumb gently and a tear ran down her cheek. I actually managed to get a little smile and smile at her reassuringly. Mal smiled back.

"You're incredibly strong, Carlos. And I'm really proud of you for what you've done." A warmth spread through my heart. I was so incredibly grateful that someone was proud of me. But it was so much more. I couldn't say how grateful I was that they were all my friends. There were simply no words for that. Finally, I turned to Jay.

"Jay, you know that I never had a big brother and then I met you. Thank you for always protecting me, even if I sometimes didn't notice. You were always there for me and you are closed to become my big brother. Thank you for doing everything to protect me." Jay looked at me with incredible sadness and anger.

"But I couldn't protect you from your illness! I should have done more! I should have-" I interrupted him immediately. I knew he blamed himself that I dying from the disease, but he couldn't have done anything about it. And I knew that he was to blame for the fact that I had fought, although he couldn't have prevented it.

"Stop it, Jay. You did what you could. There's nothing to blame yourself for." Jay nodded and suddenly hugged me. I returned the hug in surprise.

"I'm so sorry about how I treated you before, little brother." Little brother. A big smile stole on my face and I felt that I was getting weaker and weaker.

"It's all right, Jay." With these words, he broke away from me and also gave me a small smile. I took a deep breath before I got to the part that would hurt me the most.

"Evie, you were the first person to show me anything other than hate. From the beginning, you were incredibly important to me. And as time and experiences have grown, it has grown more and more. I am so thankful to you that you showed me what love is and that I was allowed to experience it with you. Evie, I love you and I will always do it." Slowly it was hard for me to suppress the tears. Evie leaned down and kissed me directly on the mouth. I smiled slightly and enjoyed the wonderful feeling in my stomach for the last time. I knew it was over. I felt tears on my cheek, but I didn't know if they were mine or Evie. She gently pulled away from me and stroked my cheek, weeping.

"I love you too, Carlos." I gently took her hand and looked at the others again. They cried too. I already missed her so incredibly. It was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open, but I still wanted to see them all until it was completely over. I was so incredibly happy that through these three special people I had learned what love and friendship meant. I breathed in again and realized that it was over now.

"Tell Dude that I love him. I love you and will always be with you." With these words, I closed my eyes and everything went black.


	30. No farewell forever

_**30\. No farewell forever**_

Mal P.O.V.

Since Carlos' death, life has simply passed me by. The pain in my heart was unbearable. It was a week ago now and I kept seeing the moment when he closed his eyes forever. I had shown weakness like never before in my life. But I didn't care. His death had broken something in me. Tomorrow was his funeral and I didn't know how to do it. I couldn't just say goodbye and go on with life as before. Because this life no longer existed. Carlos had been a big part of this life and now he died. I still couldn't believe that it really happened. It was all so unfair. The only consolation was that he was no longer in pain, but instead, we all fell into a deep hole that was hard to get out of. But what Carlos said gave me the strength I needed, even if it hurt so much. Because it did. I didn't know that friendship could hurt so much. Ben was with me all the time and all of Auradon mourned this boy who left us too early. It had been a huge shock to everyone. Jay had more and more tantrums and hadn't been able to sleep in the room of him and Carlos for the first time. Evie was just crying. I knew how much she loved Carlos and that her heart was broken. It broke us all. Ben was sitting next to me again and stroking my back. It was in the middle of the night but none of us could sleep. In my dreams, I saw Carlos standing in front of me and smiling all the time and that wiped me out again.

"We can do it together tomorrow," he whispered to me and I only sighed softly. It was so unreal. I had no idea if I would do it tomorrow and especially not how.

Now we were sitting here. So many people had come to say goodbye to our boy and I realized how much this boy had been loved. Ben had already given a heartbreaking speech about how much he valued Carlos and how kind he had been. Evie held my hand and I could see from her look how broken she really was. It was my turn now. I got up carefully and went forward. I suppressed the tears that came up inside me. I knew Carlos wanted me to stay strong. And I did. For him. When I stood at the front of the lectern, I took a deep breath and began to speak.

"I know that it is one of the tasks of a future queen to be strong and persevere, but it is really difficult for me. Carlos was the warmest and friendliest boy I have ever met. He went through life with a force, which I didn't think he owned. He didn't let his illness define him, he stayed and didn't change, and he ended up fighting for Auradon even though he knew that he probably won't survive. He was braver than I ever thought. I underestimated him and I think we all did. But Carlos was a great person who did everything for Auradon and the people he loved. And so we should remember him as the person he was, the brave, cheerful boy who never gave up and not the boy with the terrible illness."

I hadn't even cried all these words, but now a single tear ran down my cheek. It was so incredibly painful and difficult to say goodbye to him. But I also knew that he was now in a great place where he was fine. I looked at Evie who smiled at me in tears and Jay nodded to me. I took a deep breath as I sat down in my seat. I knew I would see him again, but there was still time until then. Goodbye, my friend.


	31. He will ever be with us

_**31\. He will ever be with us**_

Jay's P.O.V.

It really felt like I had lost everything. Carlos had really been a part of the family. And now he was gone. Forever. The anger in me mingled with grief and pain and that was unbearable. Why couldn't I save him? My little brother. After Mal ended, I got up and went forward. I wasn't good at giving speeches, but I would do it for Carlos. Speak to him one last time.

"I can't do that very well, but that's the least I can do for him. I used to tease and annoy him before, but he was so incredibly brave and strong. I don't know if I could have done it like him to deal with a deadly illness and all the blows. He never had an easy life, but he still managed it incredibly well. Over time, I wanted to protect him more and more, but I failed of his illness. I know Carlos wouldn't blame me for something like that, but I always will. He was my little brother, my best friend. And I really don't think it's fair that he's gone now. But if I did thinking of him, I always see this friendly, nice boy in front of me, who could always build me up and made me laugh. Thank you, little brother. For everything."

I wanted to get rid of my anger and pain somewhere, but I knew it would never happen. Because Carlos would never come back. And I didn't know if I could and wanted to live with it.

Evie's P.O.V.

I sat there and everything ran past me in a trance. I just couldn't understand it. I did not want that. Because that meant I had to accept that Carlos had gone forever. And I didn't want to accept that. My heart was broken and I didn't know if I could make this speech. My hands trembled and tears burned my eyes as I went forward. I didn't even know if I could say anything.

"Hey. I don't know if I can keep this up to the end, but I want to remind you again of this great boy who was too good for this cruel world where there are too much betrayal and hatred. He was the first person I met who quickly became my friend. I knew he was nice, but only later realized what a great person he really was. When we got here in Auradon, I met the right Carlos. The boy with the big heart and the generous smile you could only love. He wasn't home on the island. And then this illness came. I was completely done, we were all, but Carlos was great and strong with it. He didn't let it get him down and got up again after every case. He was strong until the end. And I fell in love with this boy. It breaks my heart that he is no longer here. And he has gone fight for us and Auradon. He could have lived longer but he didn't want to leave us alone in this fight. And that is what Carlos has distinguished. This love for all of us. He was an extremely kind person with a big heart. And I am infinitely grateful to have known him and to have been loved by him. It is the most beautiful gift that he could have given me. And the only reason I'm still here is that I'm holding on to what he said to us. He will always be with us. And we should all believe that."

The tears poured down my cheeks and I just let it happen. I was so broken but believed that we would see him again sometime. Because without this knowledge I would not be able to continue. Mal and Jay hugged me and we all started crying together. I would never forget him. This brave, loving, kind person with the most beautiful smile that existed in the world. The pain would never stop, yes, but I hoped I would learn to live with it. Maybe one day I would see Carlos again. All of us. I hoped. 'Take care of us up there. I love you. And we will never forget you.'

Dedicated to Cameron Boyce, who left us too early and too young forever. He leaves incredibly beautiful memories. His death leaves deep wounds and it will probably never stop hurting completely. Cameron, we will never forget you and always carry you in our hearts. Take care of us from up there. We miss you so much. Rest in peace, angel 💔


End file.
